As a child, I would watch Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror” video and wonder why people would be so overcome with emotion that they would cry hysterically, faint and be carried out of the crowd lifelessly. That mystery was solved, twenty-five years later; when the ‘Legendary Roots Krewe from Philly’ obliterated Bear Creek’s Amphitheater Stage. After living out a dream (thanks to festival curator Paul Levine, who arranged for me to bring my hometown heroes onstage), I assumed the position riding the rail directly in front of emcee Black Thought. The entire Amphitheater was packed to the gills, people were screaming the band’s name with a vehemence! Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson led ‘The Illa-Fifth Dynamite Foundation’ as they launched into a gargantuan run of classics; “Table of Contents” gave way to “Next Movement,” ‘Hot Hot Music’ filled the dank air. The following seventy-five minutes was a whirlwind of unparalleled hip-hop fury: Capt. Kirk, Kamal Gray, Knuckles, Tuba Gooding Jr., Ray Angry and Mark Kelley followed their leaders thru the swamp and beyond. Roots chestnuts like “Proceed,” “Step into a New Realm” and “Mellow My Man” were delivered with vigor, the songs and style fresh to def.

Legendary as advertised. Indeed, this writer is from Philadelphia; but please don’t get it twisted, this was fucking nuclear! The Roots headlining set on Saturday night is immediately on the short-list for greatest in the festival’s storied history.

When The Roots embarked on the world tour for their 5th album, Phrenology, in early 2003, they had entered one of their most experimental stages (just as Common had recently done with his Electric Circus album, released only 2 weeks after Phrenology.) The Roots had fully embraced the jam band aesthetic; with guitar now an integral part of their live sound each band member took time on stage for extended solos and improvisations every night. At the same time, their sound was as tight and hard hitting as any funk/soul revue you can remember. At the top of their game, they consistently rocked crowds and impressed critics.

With 10 years of hindsight, we can look back and see just how on point this group was as they paved the way for the next generation of hip hop and soul musicians. On the 10 year anniversary of the Phrenology tour I present four broadcast videos of The Roots from 2003, each with different lineups and guitarists.

First up is their homecoming show at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom near the end of the tour. This show featured a slew of surprise guests, including Nice & Smooth, Brand Nubian, and Special Ed. Watch the full video below in 2 parts, download the DVD, or download the full audience audio recording.

Next up is a video from their European Tour just a few weeks later. By this point, guitarist Ben Kenney had left to join Incubus on bass. Having been with The Roots since the summer of 2001 when he filled in on bass while HUB was out, he switched to guitar in mid-August of 2001, then departed in mid-March of 2003.

For this short European tour, Vernon Reid & Martin Luther both held down guitar duties. By May of 2003, Captain Kirk Douglas stepped in on guitar and has been in the band ever since. Presented for the first time with upgraded audio, you can watch this video on youtube, download the DVD, or download the broadcast audio.

Next up is a broadcast video from the North Sea Jazz Festival during the summer of 2003. This video features both Martin Luther and Captain Kirk Douglas on guitars. And by this point, Scratch had departed from the group.

The Roots
July 11, 2003
The Hague, Netherlands @ North Sea Jazz Festival

Now that The Roots are on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon they can’t log 100+ days a year on the road like they used to. However, they apparently still manage to sneak in weekend trips to Europe for festival gigs like this.

Here, I bring you a full ~60 minute pro-shot tv broadcast video of The Roots at the Lowlands Festival in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands on August 21, 2011. At this point in time, The Roots were bass-less. Owen Biddle, their bass player since early 2008, had just left the band and they hadn’t yet picked up new bass player, Mark Kelley. Not to worry, Damon Bryson, aka Tuba Gooding Jr., holds the low end down on sousaphone.

This video initially appeared as a DVD download over at dimeadozen.org. I took the liberty of splitting it and posting to youtube so a wider audience can enjoy it. So enjoy…